Last Updated: October 16, 2026
Program Overview
Northeastern offers January, May and September starts, with online theory and in-person skills labs and clinical placements at its Burlington and Fall River sites.
Northeastern University’s Accelerated BSN offers two entry routes: a second bachelor’s degree for graduates, and a transfer pathway for applicants with at least 62 non-nursing college credits. Both use four full-time semesters and can be completed in as few as 16 months after prerequisites.
Massachusetts students attend at Burlington or Fall River. The university also operates a Charlotte, North Carolina site, but the Massachusetts scholarship and attendance details below relate to the two Massachusetts locations.
Admissions Requirements
- Non-nursing bachelor’s degree or at least 62 eligible non-nursing college credits.
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and completion of applicable prerequisites.
- NursingCAS application, official transcripts from all institutions attended, goal statement, updated resume and two academic/professional recommendations. At least one academic reference is preferred; family and friend references are not accepted.
- Ability to attend assigned laboratory and clinical learning and meet nursing technical standards.
Prerequisite Coursework
- Second-degree prerequisites: Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs, Microbiology with lab, Chemistry with lab, Statistics including inferential statistics, Social/Behavioral Science, Lifespan Developmental Psychology and Nutrition.
- Second-degree prerequisite courses require C or higher and completion within 10 years of entry. At least five requirements must be complete and the applicant registered for the final three when applying; all must be satisfied before enrollment.
- The transfer route additionally specifies Mathematical Thinking/Calculus, introductory Psychology, Sociology, College Composition and an elective. Transfer-route science/math preparation has a five-year limit; the named other courses have a 10-year limit. The admissions team evaluates the exact transfer checklist.
- Online courses cannot satisfy a prerequisite that requires a laboratory under the published policy. Pass/fail prerequisites are not accepted.
- Transfer students also take a four-credit advanced-writing requirement in the nursing sequence, bringing that plan to 68 credits.
Application Dates and Start Terms
- Northeastern reviews applications on a rolling basis for January, May and September starts.
- The ABSN admissions-process page says applications are usually due about two months before the first day of class. That corresponds approximately to November for January, March for May and July for September, rather than an unrestricted year-round enrollment promise.
- The public page does not give a specific calendar day for every site and cohort. Obtain the precise NursingCAS cutoff for the selected location and start before submission; seats are allocated through rolling review.
Curriculum
The current ABSN plan totals 64 credits for students with a prior bachelor’s degree, or 68 for transfer students. It separates theory, laboratory and clinical courses and lists 546 clinical hours plus 84 laboratory hours; those are distinct categories, not 630 clinical hours.
Required Courses and Credits
Semester 1 — 18 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
HLTH 2100 — Interprofessional Ethics for Individual and Population Health | 4 | Ethical analysis of individual and population health decisions across health professions. |
NRSG 2222 — Nursing Health Assessment and Fundamental Nursing Skills | 4 | Patient assessment and fundamental nursing skills for safe care. |
NRSG 2221 — Laboratory for Nursing Health Assessment and Fundamental Skills | 1 | Supervised practice of assessment and basic nursing procedures. |
NRSG 2350 — Integrated Pathophysiology and Pharmaceutical Interventions | 6 | Focuses on pharmacology and pathophysiology, examining drug therapies, disease mechanisms, and physiological disruptions across major body systems. |
NRSG 2215 — Cultivating Professional Identity and Practice | 3 | Professional identity, nursing values and the responsibilities of nursing practice. |
Semester 2 — 15 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NRSG 3333 — Comprehensive Assessment and Advanced Nursing Skills | 3 | Comprehensive patient assessment and advanced nursing interventions. |
NRSG 3334 — Laboratory for Comprehensive Assessment and Advanced Skills | 1 | Laboratory application of advanced assessment and nursing procedures. |
NRSG 3320 — Nursing Care of Adults | 4 | Addresses adult acute care, building on foundational knowledge, focusing on managing health transitions, and applying the nursing process. |
NRSG 3321 — Clinical for Nursing Care of Adults | 2 | Develops practical skills by applying concepts from NRSG 3320 in real clinical settings. |
NRSG 3400 — Nursing and the Promotion of Mental Health | 3 | Explores psychiatric mental health nursing, therapeutic relationships, and intervention strategies for individuals, families, and groups. |
NRSG 3401 — Mental Health Clinical | 2 | Applies NRSG 3400 theories in psychiatric mental health clinical settings. |
Semester 3 — 16 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NRSG 3344 — Nursing Care of Childbearing Families | 2 | Nursing care during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. |
NRSG 3345 — Childbearing Families Clinical | 1 | Supervised maternal and newborn nursing care. |
NRSG 4504 — Nursing Care of the Child | 2 | Family-centered care of children across developmental stages. |
NRSG 4505 — Child Health Clinical | 1 | Supervised application of pediatric nursing care. |
NRSG 3420 — Nursing Care of Adults 2 | 4 | Focuses on complex adult care, emphasizing critical thinking, collaboration, and evidence-based practices in high-acuity settings. |
NRSG 3421 — Clinical for Nursing Care of Adults 2 | 2 | Builds on clinical skills from NRSG 3321 to manage complex patient care situations. |
NRSG 5220 — Introduction to Research Methods and Applications for Healthcare | 4 | Introduces healthcare research methodologies, emphasizing study design, ethical considerations, and application of research findings to clinical practice. |
Semester 4 — 15 credits
| Course | Credits | What you study |
|---|---|---|
NRSG 4604 — Public Health Community Nursing | 3 | Focuses on community and public health, emphasizing prevention and population health management. |
NRSG 4605 — Public Health Community Nursing Clinical | 2 | Applies public health concepts in community-based clinical settings. |
NRSG 4610 — Managing and Leading in Nursing | 4 | Prepares students for leadership roles in nursing, focusing on management strategies and patient-centered care leadership. |
NRSG 4889 — Role Transition | 3 | Synthesis of nursing learning and preparation for professional responsibilities. |
NRSG 4996 — Clinical for Role Transition | 3 | Clinical integration of nursing care and transition into practice. |
Transfer-route students take ENG 3306 or ENG 3315, Advanced Writing in the Health Professions (4 credits), in semester 2. This required transfer-route course is excluded from the 64-credit second-degree total.
Clinical Experience
The blended format uses online learning for nursing theory, with hands-on skills and simulation at the selected nursing site. Clinical rotations cover adult health, maternity, pediatrics, mental health, public health and professional transition.
Students complete required placements in the region of their site. Clinical assignments and laboratory attendance make this a local hybrid program, even though much of the coursework is online.
Tuition and Costs
At the current published rate of $1,387 per credit, the 64-credit second-degree pathway has estimated gross tuition of $88,768. The 68-credit transfer route would be approximately $94,316 at the same rate, before fees.
The ABSN tuition page states that all newly admitted Burlington and Fall River students receive a $16,500 scholarship. Subtracting that award gives a second-degree tuition estimate of $72,268, or $77,816 for the 68-credit route. Gross tuition remains the figure in Quick Facts so scholarship savings are not mistaken for an unconditional published sticker price.
Fees, prerequisites, equipment, compliance costs, clinical travel and living expenses are outside these tuition calculations. Published rates can change, including during the four-semester program; scholarship terms are part of the admission and award documentation.
Accreditation and Outcomes
Northeastern’s baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by CCNE. Graduates must complete all degree requirements, pass the NCLEX-RN and satisfy the relevant board’s licensure requirements before practicing as RNs.
See the official program information for the university’s current application instructions and program requirements.
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